Anya Bast

Check out this deck of EC playing cards! Stay tuned to Silverpurr and the Maverick Author email loops to find out how to win some. 🙂

Blood of the Damned won a Reviewer’s Choice award at Ecataromance in the sensual category.

“Christian Bale” made the presentation. Hee!

It’s a question that I get a lot, as I’m sure most authors do.

I have wanted to be a writer since I was a little girl. The desire was born from my love of reading. I can remember going to the library and coming home with stacks and stacks of books that I would voraciously consume before going back for another stack.

One day, when I was about 8, my father asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I said, “A writer!”. He told me that writers have to be very observant and be a student of human nature and of their surroundings. So I got a notebook and wrote down everything for a time, just like Harriet the Spy. At twelve or so I wrote my first “book”…well, my first attempt at a book, anyway. It was called The Barncat Chronicles and was, unsurprisingly, about the cats on my father’s hobby farm.

At 22 I wrote my first full-length novel, a historical romance. It was doorstopper, weighing in at 120k, and I couldn’t quuuuite keep the paranormal aspect out of it. It found an agent (miraculously), but never found a home. And rightly so, since I made just about every rookie writing mistake known to man in that book. I spent the next few years rewriting it and rewriting it…and rewriting it. That’s how I learned to write the right way.

For awhile I gave up hope that I would ever succeed as a writer and put down my pen. I pursued degrees in English and Psychology and then went through a period of flirtation with several graduate degree progams, trying to find one that fit me.

In the meantime, 9/11 happened. My husband and I were in Belgium when it occurred. We were locked out of the country for a few days and were on one of the first planes allowed back into the U.S. We flew past NY, (modified route), into Dulles. Dulles was freaky and quiet. Armed guards led us through customs and to our next plane connection. There was little speaking. Do not pass go. Do not collect $100.

Ironically, on that plane ride back was when I decided to take up writing again. I still remember the conversation I had in my head about it. Can still remember gazing out the window as we passed NY while I had it. Why, I asked myself, when life was so uncertain, was I not doing the one thing I loved most? Because I was afraid to fail? Please. Life is far too short to let fear rule.

So, I wrote another book.

Just at the same time I found a graduate degree program that fit (hallelujah!), I sold my first book. Knowing I couldn’t work full-time, attend grad school in the evenings AND write, I took a chance on a lifelong dream and chose writing. 🙂

I would love to know the stories of a few other bloggers, so I’m tagging…
Melany Logen (the both of them), Daisy Dexter Dobbs and Patrice Michelle. I’m also tagging any other authors who wants to take up the challenge. Leave me a link to your post, if you answer, please.

I’m all listy listy at Writerspace now! Whee!! So…please join me on Wednesday, August 16th at 8pm (est) at Writerspace to chat about Edge of Sweetness.
And… I’ll be participating in the Ellora’s Cave Writerspace chat on August 18th at 8pm (est) also!

Please do come. I promise to give cool things away.

Reviewishness for Tempted by Two….

Look at the pretty!

Journal of an Avid Reader gives TBT a “B” and sez in part…”Tempted by Two by Anya Bast was a very good read. This is my fourth foray into her Ms. Bast’s paranormal novels. If you enjoy novels where there are two hot heroes that are fated to be with one woman, then you would enjoy this novel….”

Joyfully Reviewed sez…It was 106 degrees outside while I was reading Tempted by Two by Anya Bast; and there was at least 120 degrees of heat steaming out of my laptop. Tempted by Two is that hot.

Romance Junkies gives TBT 5 Blue Ribbons and sez…”Anya Bast pens an amazing tale full of passion, trust, pure evil, and absolute binding love. TEMPTED BY TWO draws the reader into the story and doesn’t let go until you’ve read every word. Miranda is a wonderful character whom I loved getting to know. She’s witnessed the devastating results of domestic abuse and does everything in her power to help battered women. Marco and Theo are definitely alpha males – both are dominating and possessive, but in no way are they inclined toward any form of abuse. Convincing Miranda of that fact is going to be challenging. This book is delightfully enchanting with a few unexpected twists that will keep you guessing.”

Caye Kim at JERR says… “Tempted by Two is a touching book exploring the evolution of love and trust after the survival of horrible violence. The development of the relationship between Marco, Theo, and Miranda touched me on a personal level as Ms. Bast shows that even dominant males can be infinitely tender and caring. The love and understanding shown by Marco and Theo for Miranda while working to overcome her fears tugs at your heart strings; while the hot, erotic sex shared by the three characters leaves you praying that your heart doesn’t stop. Ms. Bast effortlessly showed that sex between loving partners could be both sensual and sizzling. For those of you that enjoy a good ménage between caring partners, this is the perfect book for you!”

My cat just brought me a horsefly. BLAAAAARG. He was SO proud of himself carrying around this big old, still buzzing horsefly in his mouth. BLAAAAAARG. He came and put down right in my lap. BLAAAAAAARG. It flew away. I screamed bloody murder. The dog just about peed herself. James came running. BLAAAAAAARG.

Horsefly is dead now.

Many of us have been fortunate enough to meet and get to know author Camille Anthony over the years. Perhaps we know her as a colleague. Perhaps we’ve read her books.

Camille suffers Pulmonary Sarcoidosis, caused by exposure to asbestos while an employee of the State of California. Unfortunately she cannot get health insurance to help her with the costs of treating this disease because it’s a preexisting condition and she’s just shy of the income limits to obtain medicaid.

Camille is an intelligent, personable, lovely woman who is always ready with a helping hand.

She needs our help now.

Please visit:

…that vixen Lauren Dane.

When did you start blogging and why? Er…sometime in 2004, I think. I started over on LiveJournal and it was more a social networking thing than it was a blogging thing at first. My blogging habits “evolved” from there.

What don’t you talk about? I try not to get too controversial on my blog (for one exception, see below) unless I really feel the need to speak up about something. Mostly I want to keep my blog on the lighter side of things.

Are you and your blogging persona the same person? For the most part. I mean, I don’t whine and emote all over my blog or anything. My husband gets that. *g*

How do you use blogging to build friendships? Yes, indeed. I have gained a couple very good friends from blogging.

How would you describe your writing style? My blogging style? I have a blogging style? Er…I blog seriously when I feel inclined to do so. The rest of the time it’s pretty light. Life is far too strange to take seriously most the time.

Tagging…

The wonderful and humorous Daisy Dexter Dobbs
The beautiful and talented Patrice Michelle
And a duo tag for Mel Lany Logen

….and almost even succeeds.

If you’re a blog watcher, you’ve probably seen this letter to the editor in the RWR responded to numerous times – Kate Rothwell, Smart Bitches, Lauren Dane, The Good, the Bad and the Unread and Karen S. (and I’m sure there are more by now). Normally I steer clear of such controversy, but I felt compelled to respond to this because it hits a tender spot with me on many levels, both personally and professionally.

The hostility against homosexuals that some people displays simply confounds me. I cannot understand it at a base, cellular level. I. Just. Can’t. And when I read the vitriolic undercurrent in Jan Butler’s recent letter to the editor (in RWA’s publication the RWR), it literally makes me upset to my stomach.

Here’s part of Ms. Butler’s letter:

. . . romance isn’t about just any “two people” celebrating “love in its many forms.” Organizations such as the Man-Boy Love Association would certainly refer to themselves as celebrating love “two people” (or more) finding love in one of its many forms” . . . while they actively promote pedophilia.

Think RWA can’t go down that slipper slope? Think again. Under our present definition, we cannot exclude such “love stories” under the category of “romance”. We, as a culture, seem to have forgotten how to say “enough is enough,” but RWA can–indeed, must–do better than that. . . .

And, please, spare us the arguments about “censorship” and “inclusiveness.” Preference for “one man, one woman” stories represents what RWA has always claimed is romance’s target demographic: college-educated, married, middle-class, monogamous, and moral. . . .Only in recent years has a vocal (translate: shrill) minority tried to drive RWA’s focus off that path, under the guise of “broadening its horizons.” But refusing to define romance according to the parameters it has held for centuries doesn’t “broaden” anything . . . it only starts us down the aforementioned slope, and once we’re in that slide, heaven help us.

There’s an old saying, “Go home with the one who brought you here.” What brought romance fiction to its present level of success is a collection of decades’ worth of one-man, one-woman relationships stories, in all their richness, variety, and power. RWA should be the first to endorse that, rather than attempting to placate fringe groups trying to impose their standards upon the rest of us. If anyone’s in danger of being “censored” here, it’s believers in “what comes naturally”: one-man, one-woman romance. We in RWA owe it to ourselves not to let that happen. Jan W. Butler

I respect Ms. Butler’s right to have an opinion. She can fear/hate homosexuals and write about it publicly. She can even make the false, inexplicable, illogical jump from homosexuality to pedophilia. Excuse me a moment while I stare into space trying to find a connection there…uh…nope can’t do it.

I’m trying really hard to be tolerant of the intolerant. I will also be fair here and say that Ms. Butler had a specific focus in her letter. This was not a diatribe against homosexuality in general. (Well, okay, she does pretty much say that homosexuality is not “natural,” doesn’t she? Glad she’s an authority on that.) It was a plea to the RWA to define romance in a way that would make authors like me anathema to the organization, at the very least an outsider. However, a broader fear homosexuality seemed lace the letter itself and that’s really what hit me in the solar plexus. Whether or not this was Ms. Butler’s intention, it was perceived by me and many others.

All that said, Ms. Butler has every right to make her thoughts known. Ms. Butler, however, wants to deny all the rest of us the same freedom of expression, at least within the RWA’s scope of acceptability. That I cannot swallow. I write male/male love stories. I write female/female interaction. I write polyamorous romances. I see beauty and emotion in ALL these love stories, every last one.

Just because same-sex or polyamorous interaction makes you uncomfortable, Ms. Butler, does not give you the right to deny everyone else in the world the ability to make their own reading (and writing) choices. That’s right, I said CHOICE. The matter is a simple one. I write and read what I choose to write and read…and you choose to do the same.

Ms. Butler’s central argument, of course, is that the RWA reconsider its current stance and define the romance genre in narrow, traditional terms. One man. One woman. Anything else will cause the downfall of the romance genre (and life as we know it, apparently), blah, blah. However the RWA has basically said that it is not their place to define the romance. They would be correct in this. Who does define the romance genre? The readers. They’ve got the power. And as long as there are readers (bless you all, every one) who enjoy non-traditional romances, there will be authors around like me to write them.

And now I sit down to work on my newest EC novel. What’s it about, you ask? Well, the story is about two men who are in an emotional and committed relationship and fall in love with the same woman. It’s male/male AND poly. Avert your eyes, Ms. Butler, I don’t want your brain to explode.

Ah, reviews. By all accounts readers don’t pay much attention to reviews when making their buying decisions, but I still wait on pins and needles for the first of mine to coming rolling in. I’m always so relieved when they’re good.

Of course, I’ve had my share of bad reviews too. Bad reviews are a part of being an author. It’s a part of having your work read by so many different people who come to the book with so many different worldviews, experiences and personal squicks and hang-ups. It’s important for an author develop a thick skin where this is concerned because your ego will take a few shots.

I’m human, so bad reviews hurt, but mostly I pout, eat some chocolate and carry on. I know that not everyone is going to think I’m brilliant and talented in this lifetime. *shrug* Not everyone loves me like my mom does, ya’ know?

Public participation time…

If you’re a writer, how do you react to a bad review? Pout? Consume massive amounts of chocolate? Track down the reviewer and demand a confrontation? Kick? Scream? I’m sure there are many ways to deal.

If you’re a reader, do you pay attention to reviews when making your buying decisions?

Speaking of reviews, here are the first two for my recent release, Tempted by Two, because you have to celebrate the good ones:

From Sensual eCataromance…

“Anya Bast really knows how to write hot love scenes…. Enjoy a touch of danger? Want your own personal heat wave? Anya Bast’s Tempted by Two is perfect.”

– Elise Lyn

Five Blue Ribbons from Romance Junkies…

“What’s a girl to do when she suddenly learns that she has fae blood, starts seeing goblins and has two men claiming that she’s meant to be with both of them – forever? She fights temptation and then when the time is right, gracefully gives in…

Anya Bast pens an amazing tale full of passion, trust, pure evil, and absolute binding love. TEMPTED BY TWO draws the reader into the story and doesn’t let go until you’ve read every word. Miranda is a wonderful character whom I loved getting to know. She’s witnessed the devastating results of domestic abuse and does everything in her power to help battered women. Marco and Theo are definitely alpha males – both are dominating and possessive, but in no way are they inclined toward any form of abuse. Convincing Miranda of that fact is going to be challenging. This book is delightfully enchanting with a few unexpected twists that will keep you guessing.”

– Chrissy Dionne

Jennifer Dunne did this face recognition thing over on her blog and I thought it was cool. I’m being a lemming.

I uploaded this picture of myself:

And got the following results:

Shannon Elizabeth 68% — I had no idea who this was, so I looked her up. Shhhhaaaaa…in my dreams!! So, I know something’s wrong with this thing right off the bat! But, hey, she’s into animal rights and rescue and stuff. Cool.

Joan Cusack 66% — I adore her, but I don’t think I really look like. Er…I’d take her brother in a heartbeat though.

Naomi Watts 64% — I didn’t know who she was either because I’m not culturally oriented that way. Turns out she’s the actress in King Kong. Again I say…er…yeeeah…probably not. King Kong made me cry like a big dork, btw, fakey stupid huge cochroaches and all.

Patricia Arquette 62% — OMG! I adore her too! I can almost see this one. I think it’s the similaries in coloring.

Alyson Hannigan 59% — Three times with the adoration!!

Jessica Lange 58% — Four times!!

Jennifer Aniston 58% — Again I must say…in my dreams.

Josephine Baker 58% — This one is just too cool. I don’t even have anything to say about it.

Jessica Alba 58% — I had to look this one up too. I don’t look a damn thing like her.

Now, the thing that strikes me is…none of these people even look alike. I mean, take this picture of Joan Cusack and Jennifer Aniston together:

They’re both lovely, but there’s little facial similarity there.

I did run a second photo of myself and that gave me different results. There was only one person that came up twice:

I’m going to take that to mean I must look the most like her in a face shape, eye shape, eyebrow arch, nose and mouthish kind of way.

Mostly I think I just look like me. 🙂